James Harden: 'I can't take preseason lightly'

James Harden: 'I can't take preseason lightly'

James Harden put on a show against the Knicks on Monday night, finishing with 36 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds while hitting 13-21 shots from the field and 7-14 from three-point range. If, for some reason, you thought Harden was bluffing about taking preseason seriously, his 37 minutes and all-out attack should convince you otherwise.

“We got two more preseason games left, so I can’t take preseason lightly,” Harden said. “I think all of us have that mindset that we want to take these games seriously and we want to get better. When that first game hits, it’s four quarters.”

Many were surprised when Harden had 31 minutes logged at the end of the third quarter; all were surprised when Harden was put back in the game during the fourth quarter when the Rockets already had a 20-point lead on the struggling Knicks. He was asked if he was shocked about being put back in the game during a blowout.

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“It’s not about [the score],” Harden explained. “It’s about building my conditioning up, putting our communication up together so when next week hits, we’re ready to go. It’s one thing to practice and go through drills, but there’s only five preseason games. We gotta take these seriously, especially for guys like Chris [Paul], Tuck (P.J. Tucker) and Luc [Mbah a Moute].

Mike D’Antoni has been adamant that preseason isn’t a time for the team to coast. Instead, it’s a chance for the new-look Rockets to gain chemistry and show why they’re good enough to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy. With only two more preseason games left, look for the Rockets to continue their success and play their guys heavily.